Ardmore tournament has deep roots in local game

The Max Williamson Invitational held Wednesday at Lakeview Golf Club holds a significant place in the city’s golf history.

Williamson was an ambassador for the game and worked to spread his passion to young people in Ardmore.

“He was an ambassador of golf for kids,” Williamson’s daughter Vicki Peters said.

In the bed of his truck, Williams kept his toolbox full of clubs and balls. When a young golfer showed interest in the game, he would offer up all the tools needed to get started.

“He had a silver toolbox on the back,” Vicki Peters said. “His deal was: you could hand pick five (clubs) or grab two hand fulls. He would drive up and they knew his pickup. It was like someone was giving away a million dollars. That’s the way he ways.”

Williamson died in 2009 and five years later his granddaughters won the event named after him for Ardmore High School. He graduated from Ardmore in 1946.

“He’s up there doing a dance right now,” Vicki Peters said. “He really didn’t get to see his granddaughters play competitive golf. But, he would be here not missing a single shot. This is so awesome for girls golf in Ardmore. We’ve got two teams now, when five years ago we had one player. In the junior high we have eight kids, so the program is thriving. And, part of it is because of my dad for how much he did for junior golf for 75 years.”

“This is where he would be. He would’ve been here at 6 o’clock in the morning and wouldn’t have left until every single girl went home, no matter what team.”

In 1989, Vicki Peters graduated from Ardmore High School and the Lady Tigers finished third in state after reaching state all four years of her high school career.

At the time, Oklahoma had an open golf setup, with schools of every level competing in the same division.

Vicki married Lady Tigers coach Marc Peters, and their daughters Shelby and Samantha play for Ardmore’s team that won Wednesday’s tournament.

In college, Vicki played at North Texas in Denton, and her parents were at every tournament.

“This was the love of his life,” she said. “We have 16 full girls teams in Class 5A now. And, 25 years ago when I was in school, there were six teams in the state. To see how much golf has grown, it would tickle him to death.”